Impatiens plant named ‘ElRed’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinctive New Guinea Impatiens plant characterized by flowers with two or more colors distributed in distinct irregular randomly distributed patterns on some or all petals and flowers. The patterns are defined by multiple irregularly shaped regions of color. Generally, each region consists of an elongate streak or patch of color typically radiating in a direction from the base of a petal to the edge of the petal. The irregularly shaped regions, while not necessarily exclusive of other colors, generally are dominated by a single color. The streaks or patches forming regions may vary in color intensity, shape, length, and width. They also vary in terms of their position relative to the base and edge of a petal.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar botanicallyknown as Impatiens hawkeri, commercially as New Guinea Impatiens, and bythe cultivar name ElRed.

The cultivar of FIGS. 1-2 was developed and selected in a controlledbreeding program in a controlled environment in Coquille, Ore. by theinventor, Harlan Cosner. ‘ElRed’ was selected as a single lateral branchof an unnamed parent, coded L-146. Further details of a method ofbreeding flowers with the new and distinct characteristics of ‘ElRed’are disclosed in a co-pending utility patent application, filedconcurrently on the same date as this application, naming Harland Cosneras the inventor, entitled Novel Impatiens Plants And Methods OfReproduction, Ser. No. 09/169,593 (hereinafter the “Cosner UtilityApplication”). The disclosure of that application is hereby incorporatedby reference for the plants and flowers disclosed and the methods ofproducing the same.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar, based on terminal cuttingstaken at Coquille, Ore. and grown out in a controlled environment there,shows that the unique features of ‘ElRed’ are stable and reproduced trueto type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

FIGS. 1-2 show New Guinea Impatiens plants according to the presentinvention. Relative to single or multi-color flowers of conventional NewGuinea impatiens plants, such as the Star or Bright Eye varieties, whichhave distinct non-random patterns, the colors on flowers of the presentinvention are distributed in distinct irregular, randomly distributedpatterns on some or all petals of some or all flowers. The patterns aredefined by multiple, irregularly-shaped regions of color. Generally,each region consists of an elongate streak or patch of color typicallyradiating in a direction from the base of a petal to the edge of thepetal. The irregularly shaped regions, while not necessarily exclusiveof other colors, generally are dominated by a single color. The streaksor patches forming regions may vary in shape, length, width, and colorintensity. They also may vary in terms of their position relative to thebase and edge of a petal. As used herein, the term “marbled” andvariations of this word shall refer to a petal or flower having patternsas described in this paragraph.

The present cultivar differs from its parent in that predominantly everyflower displays a random multi-colored pattern on nearly every petal ofnearly every flower. The parent plant produced flowers with petals thatwere extremely variable from solid different colors to the currentrandom multi-colored patterns of the present invention.

Color references are according to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significanceare used.

The photographs of the plant and flowers in FIGS. 1-2, which correspondto FIGS. 2-3 in the Cosner Utility Application, were taken at Coquille,Ore. in late summer/early fall. They illustrate the new and distinctivemarbled effect in the flowers of ‘ElRed’. The photographs show themarbled effect in the flowers, colors in the flowers, foliage of theplant, and habit of the plant as true as reasonably possible. Flower andfoliage colors in the photographs may appear different from the actualcolors due to variables such as light reflectance and photo-processingconditions. To the extent there may be differences between thephotographs and the Colour Chart descriptions in the text, the textualdescriptions control.

FIG. 1 is a photograph of a flower according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a photograph of three plants each of which is a clone havingthe same identification code, L-146-3. The plants are third generationclones from the plant coded L-146. The three plants shown in FIG. 2 arein a 10″ container. (Code numbers used herein correspond to the onesgiven in the Cosner Utility Application, and identify the same plantswhen the same.)

The following description of the plant and flowers in the photographs isbased on the environmental and cultural practices at Coquille Ore. Thephotographs were taken during late summer/early fall. The followingmeasurements, values, and comparisons describe plants grown under adouble layer of polyethylene with controlled temperatures typicallyranging from about 58° F. to about 85° F. Light levels ranged from about3500 to 7000 ft. candles. The individual plants were grown in six (6″)Azalea containers in a soiless medium of the Peatlite type. Fertility ofthe medium was 20-10-20 western special plus, minor trace elementsapplied at 175 PPM of Nitrogen constant feed, no leach.

The plants of the present invention have not been grown under allconditions. If the plants of the present invention are grown under otherconditions, some phenotypical variations may result, as may occur withany plant.

Parentage

The parent of the plant of the present invention was a sport from acontrolled cross between female parent coded S-108 and male parent codedS-486A, both of which are proprietary seedlings of the inventor producedin a controlled breeding program. The coded plants are shown in thelineages described in FIGS. 11-13 of the Cosner Utility Application, anddescribed in the text accompanying those figures.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Lateral tips of plants were the cuttings used for asexualreproduction.

Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 14 to 21 days with shorter time insummer and longer time in winter.

Rooting habit.—The rooting habit is characterized by numerous, fibrous,and well-branched roots.

Plant description: FIG. 2 illustrates the overall plant characteristics,which are described in more detail below:

Plant form and habit.—Medium vigorous, mounded to wide, upright vaseshaped; a free branching habit with numerous large flowers per plant;shiny, dark green foliage: flowers held above or beyond the foliage; acompact to medium-compact growth habit. Mature plants are about 22 to 28cm. in height, and about 28 to 35 cm. in width. Both of thesemeasurements are a function of age, the above environmental and culturalpractices, and can vary accordingly.

Branches.—The habit is free branching. Branches are about 0.5 cmdiameter in the internodes and about 1.0 cm at the nodes. The branchlengths and internode lengths vary with plant age, environment, andcultural practices. Color is translucent in type measuring 146B-C in theinternodes, with a reddish appearance at nodes measuring close to 178A.

Foliage shape.—Shape is oblong lanceolate; cuneate to attenuate base;accuminate apex; serrate margin. Size of largest is about 12 cm long; 4cm wide.

Foliage color.—Shiny adaxial surface 147A; abaxial surface of 147B;abaxial surface venation, main vein 152A at base and 146A toward apex,lateral veins are barely distinguishable; abaxial surface venation mainvein 148B at base, darkening to 148A toward apex, with laterals close to146A on the mature foliage. Juvenile foliage adaxial surface is 147A;abaxial surface is 147B; adaxial surface venation in main vein is 146Cat base becoming indistinguishable at apex, lateral veins areindistinguishable; abaxial surface main vein is 146B at base, darkeningto 146A toward apex, lateral veins are closest to 146A.

Petioles.—About 1.5 cm. long on largest leaves, half round, about 3 mmwide on top, depth of about 2 mm. Color on top is close to 152A to Bwith occasional reddish markings close to 178A; bottom color is 146B.

Flower description:

The following flower traits have been repeatedly observed and aredetermined to be the unique characteristics of ‘ElRed’.

Flowering type and habit.—Flowers in which predominantly every petal hasa marbling effect as defined in the text above, illustrations of whichare shown in the photographs. The photographs show flowers withmulticolor marbling where the random multi-colored patterns areprimarily comprised of shades of a reddish purple and salmony pink tosalmony orange with none being either dominant or in a fixed position.Free flowering and continuous.

Natural flowering season.—Year round in greenhouse.

Flowers borne.—Beyond foliage, arising from leaf axils.

Flower and bud colors.—Adaxial surface has random markings of 51A, 50A,61B and 71B, with a darker mark at base of 60A. Abaxial surface of thetop petal has the typical center ridge which is close to 187B. Theremainder of this petal and the other 4 petals have random markingsclose to 61C, 63A, and 43C. Buds prior to opening are top 187B, sepalsare as described. Solid color petals or flowers may occur that match oneof the above colors. In commercial production it is expected thatgenerally about 15% or less of the flowers may have one or more petalsof a substantially solid color matching one of the above colors. Lessthan about 10% of the branches may produce flowers that are not marbledas described, but may be substantially solid colors matching one of theabove colors.

Quantity of flowers.—Usually 4 to 8 per whorl, with normally 17 to 25open per plant at a time.

Typical flower and bud sizes.—Flowers are about 7 cm. wide; 7 cm. high;1.25 cm. deep. The top center petal is about 5 cm wide and 3 cm deep;reniform in shape with rounded to retuse apex and entire margin. Eachside petal is about 3.5 cm. wide and 3.5 cm. long; shape is reversecordate with a cuneate base, a retuse apex, and entire margin. Eachlower petal is about 4 cm. wide and 3.5 cm. long; deltoid in shape witha cuneate base, retuse apex, and entire margin. The side and lowerpetals are fused at the base. The above measurements refer to the largerflowers. The buds prior to opening are about 2.25 cm in length; about1.5 cm in diameter; shape is ovoid.

Peduncles.—About 5 cm. long; 2 mm. in diameter; colored on top close to166B, bottom close to 145B, close to 141C where attached at axil.

Spur.—About 7 cm. long, and 3 mm. in diameter at sepal end; shape isacicular, curved tube wider at sepal end. Color is 187C at sepal endwith a greenish tip close to 145B.

Sepals.—3; one attached to the spur measuring about 1.7 cm. wide, and 2cm long; rounded oval in shape with a pointed apex; adaxial surface ismarked randomly with 63B and a lighter whitish-pink color with 63Atoward apex end; the abaxial surface is randomly marked close to 63B and62B with a greenish tip close to 144B. Each other sepal is about 7 mm.wide and 1.8 cm. in length; both surfaces appear close in coloration,with the adaxial surface being more translucent; markings are of 185Band 142C with an elongated tip of 143A to B.

Reproductive organs.—Ovary is colored 143A; about 6 mm. in length; 2 mm.in diameter; stigma is whitish green translucent; about 2 mm wide. Theanther is a single fused organ wrapped around the ovary with 5 spur-likeattachments at the base; colored 185A at the base, and 161D at the top.The pollen color is closest to 4D. The pollen and anther are both shedprior to the stigma being receptive to the sperm nucleus of the pollen;natural seed production seldom occurs as a result.

Disease resistance: Problems from fungal, bacterial, or viral pathogenshave not been observed.

Seed production: Plants are self-sterile.

The above description of the prior art should be referred to. Due to theuniqueness of the coloration of ‘ElRed’, no other New Guinea impatiensare believed to exist with which the cultivar can be reasonablycompared. This uniqueness is best shown in the figures.

What is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct New Guinea impatiens plant calledElRed, characterized by its exhibition of marbled flowers, substantiallyas shown and described herein.